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Good news, but I'm a bit confused!

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I had some unexpected, but not unwelcome news in a letter from my hospital the other day. My last 5 PCR results were: - 4/14: 0.13% - 8/14: 0.07% - 11/14: .06% - 2/15: .03% - 5/15: .02% These are raw results from Barts lab, but on 2/15 an IS corrected result from HHS was .02%. I was pretty happy with those results, a nice downwards trend and I was hoping for a 0.00x% on my most recent result to get me into MR4 territory. I was pretty surprised when my most recent test results came back and the result said "BCR-ABL ratio undetectable". Now, before I get carried away with this I will want to see the next result (and the one after that) to say the same thing. But I'm still confused ... my understanding was that a PCR test can spot 1 in 100,000 cells - so what exactly does "undetectable" mean? Surely within 3 months of a 0.02% result I cannot have a genuinely undetectable level of CML. Can anyone shed any light? Thanks, David.

Hi David,

was the undetectable result from HH or Barts? If HH then there pcr methodology is pretty much detecting bcr-abl down at the 5 log level if not lower. It is true that pcr tests can detect 1 cell in 100,000 but more often- with blood samples taken - they get around 10,000 cells.

It may be that your test are suddenly showing a dramatic decrease because you have been responding for some time but are only now seeing the benefits of the actual drop in bcr-abl. Pretty exciting stuff for you! Fingers crossed you will remain undetectable.

sandy

Hi Sandy,

The result was from the Barts lab, so I tend to be wary until I see a correlation between them and the Hammersmith lab which for me is done much less frequently but I think I will ask for that to be done at my next visit.

I'll ask at my next clinic in November about more detail of the test, how many sensitive it was ... how long between the blood being drawn and the test ran etc.

I'm naturally a pessimist in these kind of things. "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!"

David.

Hey mate I would just take it as "good news" and all heading in the right direction.

When you next go for your bloods taken ask your consultant to explain what they mean and what the significance is if indeed there is any.

Thanks.

I will certainly will do all of that, but my next clinic isn't until November ... so a little while to wait.

David.

Do you have a phone contact number and someone you can call to ask? I'm sure they'll be happy and able to help you and that's what they're there for :)

I have my oncologist's email address and might drop her a note. But to be honest it wouldn't change what she'd say to me in a couple of months at the next clinic. I'm pretty patient :)

But if you're a natural pessimist it could stop that ;)

I'm in the camp of never wanting to worry about what I can't control and effect. Tending to optimism and always eager for good news though never too afraid to meet bad.

Haha - I'm the same. If I can't control it, I don't worry about it too much.

But at the same time, to temper my own expectations I don't get carried away with thing (that's what I mean about pessimism!). Sounds like we use different things to meet the same ends.

David.